TISC Meeting Notes
Date: February 16, 2006
By: Gaye Smith, Staff Assistant
Subject: January 17, 2006 Trucking Issues Subcommittee Meeting
The meeting was held in the 4th Floor Conference Room (401 Large), City Administration Building,
30 S. Nevada Avenue, and began at 3:02 p.m.
In Attendance
CTAB: Bob Hartwig, Chair
At Large Members: Scott Arnold, Vice-Chair; Larry Bagley, Glenn Frank
Trucking Industry Members: Rich O’Connell, Rick Wright
City/County Staff: Craig Blewitt, Transportation Planning Manager
Dave Krauth, Principal Traffic Engineer
Gaye Smith, Staff Assistant for Transportation Planning
Gina Harlan, Traffic Engineering
Beth Hustad, Transportation Planning
Janet Stephens, El Paso County Dept of Transportation
Old North End Neighborhood: Pat Doyle, Kalah Fuller, Nancy Lippincott, Robert McJimsly,
(ONEN) Dave Munger, Mark Nelson, Steve Rodemer, Susan Rutherford
Other: Donna Drialo, Take Back Our Neighborhood Streets
Tom Nycum, Colorado College and ONEN
John O’Donnell, Surface Transportation Advisory Coalition (STAC)
Scott Prater, The Slice/Gazette
Absent
Gene Bray, Don Schley, Scott Shevock
Citizen Comment
Donna Drialo spoke of her concern that residents of neighborhood sections of the City’s truck routes cannot protect themselves from hazardous materials being transported by trucks. She provided a copy of her prepared remarks, which are added as an attachment to these meeting notes.
Craig Blewitt said that the former Truck Route Committee had received a presentation on hazardous materials, and staff could bring this issue back to TISC.
Mark Nelson said that others were at this meeting to speak about the North Nevada Avenue issue, and asked when in the meeting this would be appropriate. Bob Hartwig responded that one option would be to wait until North Nevada Avenue was on TISC’s agenda, and that this issue would probably be the focus of one meeting.
Update on County Trucking Issues
Janet Stephens said that the formation of a trucking subcommittee was approved at the last meeting of the County’s Highway Advisory Committee (HAC). The subcommittee will be comprised of two representatives of the HAC, three citizens at large (selection geographically based), two representatives from the local trucking community, one non-voting member from the City of Colorado Springs, one member from the Colorado Department of Transportation, and one member from the Motor Carriers Association. Initially, the subcommittee will meet monthly, and then probably quarterly.
The subcommittee will look at the County’s major corridor plan, developed in September 2004. It does not provide details such as what weights roadways are designed to carry. The subcommittee will look at weight limits for trucks, as the current 10,000 pounds seems low. Since the TISC intends to review weight limits as well, this is something the two committees can try to coordinate. Other issues include the viability of using Powers Boulevard/SH 83 as a truck route. Janet handed out a map of proposed sign locations for a Black Forest Truck Route implementation area, and proposed sign locations. Cut-through traffic is an issue.
Final Public Communication Policy on Truck Route Changes
Dave Krauth distributed a draft “Truck Route Change Notification Procedures for the Trucker, Traffic Engineering Policy 05-1201” for TISC’s review:
Truck Route Change Notification Procedures for the Trucker
Traffic Engineering Policy 05-1201
The following actions shall be taken in order to notify the trucking industry (local and over the road)
of any changes to the City’s truck routes:
1) Updated maps supplied to
a) Department of Motor Vehicles
b) Colorado Springs Police Department
c) Colorado State Patrol
d) Monument Weigh Station
e) MacVan Maps – In order to be published in the following year’s edition, updated maps should be delivered to MacVan no later than September 15 of each year. Map updates throughout the year may be submitted as they occur, in order to be included in MacVan’s monthly update service.
f) Updates shall be provided to the Gazette for publishing in the Public Announcements section.
2) The City shall coordinate with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to install signs at each entrance to the City, stating “TRUCK ROUTE INFORMATION CALL
385-5908”
3) Signs shall be placed at the termini of any facilities removed from the system. These notices shall be in place for one month prior and two weeks after the effective date. All signs shall meet Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) criteria for prevailing speeds and font sizes. Signs shall be black lettering on white background with the phrase TRUCK ROUTE CHANGE at the top of the sign in black letters on a yellow background.
4) The effective date for all changes shall be January 1 of each year.
Dave also provide a mock-up of the proposed “Truck Route Change” sign. He said that he would be setting up a meeting with Sue Blumberg, the Public Communications Director, to discuss refinements to the proposed policy. At this time he is seeking TISC’s input, and estimated that the policy adoption would not occur for a couple of months. Subcommittee members liked the approach and offered no additional comments. Dave will provide an update after his meeting with Public Communications.
Roadway Classification for Truck Route System
Based on the discussion of using roadway classifications as a basis for a truck route system at last month’s meeting, staff created a roadway classifications map that shows all freeways, expressways and principal arterials in red, minor arterials in green, and major residential collectors and industrial/ commercial roads in blue. This map is intended only as a tool to help identify major truck routes.
Dave was asked how the determination is made to include a roadway on the truck route. He said that the truck route system was adopted as part of the Intermodal Transportation Plan (ITP). Driveways are predominantly not on major collectors, and collector streets and below are determined by staff, using criteria such as land use and width of road. The ITP has a roadway classifications chart, which staff will provide to Subcommittee members.
Dave outlined some of the issues of using roadway classifications as a basis for a truck route system from a Traffic Engineering perspective:
· Curb radius
· Road structure
· Set backs
· Some arterials are substandard, which raises a concern about considering all arterials for the truck route system. Dave cited North Circle Drive, which has issues with coal mines located beneath the street.
He said Traffic Engineering can document issues as they develop, and would perform field reviews to make sure movements can be made in certain locations.
Dave was asked by an audience member if one issue would be the density of residential areas around truck routes. The citizen’s concern is that the North Nevada Avenue route is a very dense residential area. Dave said that traffic safety and operations were a concern, and that TISC would look at all issues. He was asked if frontage, schools and other gathering spots would also be looked at, and he said that these would be, along with other considerations. The difficulty being faced is that the City has grown up around residential areas.
Discussion then revolved around the logistics of putting together a refined map for the TISC that contains the information needed and yet still be legible. Dave said that creating a 11 x 17 map with all the information might be difficult. Some suggestions:
· Drop the lower roadway classifications
· Use arterials and above; 2 colors: One for principal arterials and above, another for minor arterials
· Can use a hatched or dotted line for the truck routes
· Two types of land use maps should be available; one is present land use and another is future land use. The future land use map is more generalized and ties into the County better and was preferred by Subcommittee members.
· School routes and walk routes to school might be available as well
Citizen, Staff and Committee Member Comments
A citizen raised an issue about a trucker who habitually parks on North Nevada Avenue, about two blocks from Penrose Hospital. Police say they cannot enforce unless the truck is parked over three days. Craig commented that the residential no parking issue was discussed a few meetings ago, and trucks parking along truck routes was not prohibited. Dave said that truck parking was governed by City code, and in order to provide for no parking on certain truck route facilities, the code would need to be amended or revised.
Glenn Frank then addressed the citizens present, assuring them that TISC members understand and realize the neighborhood’s concerns, and that their concerns are valid. TISC is attempting to balance the needs of residents with the needs of the trucking industry, and trying to come up with a new method that will produce a truck route system that is better than what the City has now.
Bob Hartwig noted that much of the problem revolves around the growth in the City. He suggested that perhaps staff could research how other cities that have already gone through such growth have dealt with trucking issues. A suggestion was made that perhaps even larger cities than Colorado Springs should be surveyed. Staff will contact other cities and bring a report back to the TISC.
Craig said that since so many residents from the North Nevada Avenue area were present at the meeting, he would reiterate the information he has regarding the Powers Boulevard swap agreement with the City. There are different phases in the agreement for the transfer of ownership from the State to the City, and the transfer of Nevada Avenue from the State to the City was to occur during a specific phase. However, the Colorado Department of Transportation has advised the City that it would like to move forward with the changes of ownership as quickly as possible and the City has agreed. Consequently, the change of ownership of North Nevada Avenue could happen as soon as July 2006.
Staff was then asked if the Traffic Engineering Change Notification Procedure presented earlier in the meeting, and the provision that truck route changes would occur on January 1 of each year, would apply to North Nevada Avenue. Dave Krauth said that if the policy is adopted as it is now drafted, and if North Nevada Avenue has changed to City ownership later this year, then any truck route change would be effective January 1, 2007. The reason for this would be so that the trucking industry would have sufficient time to be made aware of changes and have a date that truckers can count on as they plan their routes through the City. This provision is due to the recent experience with the truck route change on Research Parkway, which was confusing to both truckers and enforcement officers. Changes to the truck route map can be made in advance on the City’s website, and the City will work with MacVan Maps on changes as well, and perhaps truckers will accommodate those changes in advance of the January 1 enforcement date.
Craig announced the retirement of Deputy City Manager Dave Nickerson at the end of January. All advisory committee members have been invited to attend Mr. Nickerson’s retirement party on
January 31.
The next meeting of the Trucking Issues Subcommittee will be February 21, 2006 at 3:00 p.m. in the City Admin Building, 30 S. Nevada Avenue, 4th Floor Conference Room, Suite 401 Large.
Potential Agenda Topics:
Hazardous Materials presentation
Roadway Classification for Truck Route System
The meeting adjourned at 4:10 p.m.
Attachment
Take Back Our Neighborhood Streets Citizen Comment
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